Chapter 44
Thirty minutes earlier...
Drogen strode confidently toward the circle of politicians where Mr. Edward stood, laughing and chatting with his equally corrupt companions. Every step he took was calculated, his eyes cold and fixed on his target.
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Edward," Drogen greeted, extending a hand with a practiced smile.
Edward turned, his face lighting up with polite curiosity as he shook Drogen's hand. "I don't believe we've met. Who might you be?"
"The name's Dante Lee, chairman of Shuan Entertainment," Drogen said smoothly, pulling his hand back before his urge to crush Edward's bones overtook him.
Edward's face brightened with recognition. "Ah, so you're him! This is the first time I'm seeing you in person. I must say, I expected someone older—early fifties at least—but you're surprisingly young. Must've started working hard at a young age."
Drogen chuckled lightly, though his fists clenched behind his back. "I try to keep myself busy," he replied, his voice laced with false humility. "How's the family, Mr. Edward?"
"Oh, wonderful. The wife and kids are doing great. Never been happier," Edward said with a wide grin.
Drogen's jaw tightened, the smile on his face faltering for a split second. How dare this man talk about happiness when his hands were soaked in blood?
"I heard your son recently graduated. Where is he?" Drogen asked, his voice smooth, though his eyes gleamed with malice.
Edward beamed with pride and waved across the room. "Lucian! Come here!"
A young man approached but froze midway as soon as his eyes met Drogen's. Lucian's face turned ghostly pale, and a flicker of sheer terror passed through his expression.
"I… uh… my stomach hurts. I'll just… head to the restroom," Lucian stammered, spinning on his heel and rushing away without waiting for a response.
Drogen's lips curled into a dark smile. The boy recognized him. Good. Fear was an old acquaintance of theirs.
Lucian's sleepless nights had left him haggard, with deep, dark circles under his eyes. Ever since Drogen had first appeared in his nightmares, neither Lucian nor his friends had known a single moment of peace. Now, seeing Drogen in the flesh had pushed him to the brink of madness.
Edward frowned as he watched his son disappear into the crowd, but before he could comment, Drogen stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"I know what your son did, Edward," Drogen said, his tone ice-cold. "And I have proof."
Edward stiffened, his confident demeanor crumbling as he looked up into Drogen's piercing eyes. "Who… who are you?" he asked, his voice barely audible.
"I'm the man who's going to make him pay for his sins."
Edward's face twisted in anger. "Do you know who I am? I could crush your wretched company in seconds!"
Drogen smirked. "Why don't we take this somewhere private? Unless, of course, you'd prefer I expose your little secrets here in front of your friends."
Edward's bravado faltered. "Excuse me, gentlemen," he said to the group with a forced smile. "I need to handle some business with Mr. Lee."
The two men walked to a secluded room. As soon as the door closed, Drogen dropped his facade entirely.
"Edward," he began, his voice dripping with venom, "how did your ex-wife die?"
Edward's face paled. "She… she committed suicide. Everyone knows that."
Drogen's eyes darkened, and he took a threatening step forward. "No, everyone believes that because you made sure they did. You killed her, didn't you? And then you staged her death as a suicide."
Edward stumbled backward, his heart pounding. How could this man know? He had covered every track, left no evidence behind. "How… how do you know?" Edward stammered, forgetting to deny the accusation in his panic.
Drogen tilted his head, his lips curling into a cruel smile. "So it's true. You killed her. But I already knew that. The real question is—how far are you willing to go to keep the rest of the world from finding out?"
"You're bluffing," Edward spat, trying to regain control. "There's no evidence. You have nothing on me."
Drogen reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. With a few taps, he played a recording.
The sound of a woman's desperate gasps for breath filled the room, her voice choked and pleading. Then came Edward's voice, cruel and mocking:
"Just give up and die, you bitch. You think you can go free after sleeping with another man? I don't tolerate cheaters, is that clear? Just look at you—gasping for breath under my hold like the pathetic thing you are."
"I...I..... didn't..." The woman tried to speak but Edwards hold tightened, preventing her from speaking.
The woman's gasps grew weaker, and her struggling ceased followed by a sigh of relief.
Edward's voice followed, calm and callous. "Damn, you're one persistent bitch."
The recording ended.
Edward collapsed to the floor, trembling. He stared up at Drogen, his face ashen. "What… what do you want?" he croaked.
Drogen loomed over him, his cold gaze boring into Edward's soul. "Your son. Make him pay for what he did. I want him convicted. You have one week. If he's still free by then, I'll take this recording—and everything else I have—to the police. And trust me, Edward, I have plenty more where this came from."
Edward's lips trembled as he tried to respond, but no words came out. Drogen turned and walked away, leaving the broken man on the floor, consumed by the weight of his crimes.
As Drogen returned to the main hall, his thoughts churned with disgust. Men like Edward didn't deserve the lives they lived, nor the power they wielded.
But his burning anger quenched the moment he spotted Natasha, her head bowed, tears shimmering in her eyes. Her usually bright aura was dimmed. His earlier emotions of anger and disgust over Edward had out done her's which lead him to not being able to sense her own emotional breakdown.
"Who?" he asked, his voice low and commanding.
Whoever dared to hurt her would pay dearly. The audacity to not only harm her but also ruin the dress he had chosen for her—it was unforgivable.